Adafruit BMP388 - Precision Barometric Pressure and Altimeter

by Adafruit

Bosch has been a leader in barometric pressure sensors, from the BMP085. BMP180, and BMP280... now we've got the next generation, the Adafruit BMP388 Precision Barometric Pressure sensor.

As you would expect, this sensor is similar to its earlier versions but even better. The BMP388 has better precision than ever, which makes it excellent for environmental sensing or as a precision altimeter. It can even be used in either I2C and SPI configurations.

The BMP3xx is the next-generation of sensors from Bosch and is the upgrade to the BMP280 - with a low altitude noise as low as 0.1m and the same fast conversion time. And like the previous BMP280, you can use I2C or SPI. For simple easy wiring, go with I2C. If you want to connect a bunch of sensors without worrying about I2C address collisions, go with SPI.

This sensor has a relative accuracy of 8 Pascals, which translates to about ± 0.5 meters of altitude (compare to the BMP280's 12 Pascal/ ±1 meter). The datasheet sort of implies they intend this sensor to be used for drones and quadcopters, to keep altitude stable, but you could also use this for wearables or any project that wants to track height-above-sea-level. Note that for absolute height you'll still need to enter in the barometric pressure at sea level if the weather changes, but that's true of every altimeter sensor that uses pressure. You can also measure temperature with ±0.5°C accuracy.

Nice sensor right? So Adafruit made it easy for you to get right into your next project. The surface-mount sensor is soldered onto a PCB and comes with a 3.3V regulator and level shifting so you can use it with a 3V or 5V logic microcontroller without worry. Check out the Arduino library to get data out in under 10 minutes!

Should you wish to avoid soldering, it now also includes Stemma QT connectors (SparkFun Qwiic compatible). Using these handy connectors you can simply plug in the sensor, no soldering required! QT Cable is not included, but we have a variety in the shop.

Technical Details

Revision History:

  • As of November 21, 2022 – Adafruit have updated this PCB with Adafruit Pinguin to make a lovely and legible silkscreen - you may get the new PCB or the older version with vector fonts - both are identical other than the fancy silkscreen. Additionally, this sensor breakout may come with black or tan STEMMA QT connectors. They work the same!
  • As of February 23, 2021, Adafruit have updated this sensor to be STEMMA QT compatible - that means there's now an easy way to plug-and-play this sensor without any soldering! The physical shape has changed, but the pinout is identical to the non-QT earlier version.